Project Manager

The UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO) unites the New York Portfolios, including the Peace and Security team (PSC); the Geneva Office; and the Vienna-based Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) teams, to maximize global impact, foster efficiencies and streamline global programmes. Leveraging our collective expertise and networks, GPO supports UNOPS' strategic priorities and the SDGs across over 130 countries. We deliver project management, fund management, advisory services, project implementation, and HR services, working closely with major global partners. Our thematic focus includes sustainable development, climate action, health, peace & security, and humanitarian action. As part of the Global Portfolios Office, UNOPS Geneva provides comprehensive solutions in secretariat hosting, operational support, and fund management. We manage global programmes, including the Water, Environment and Climate (WEC) Portfolio, offering project management, procurement, HR, and financial services. Geneva hosts the secretariats of eight global partnerships focused on health (RBM, Stop TB, ATscale), nutrition (SUN), water/sanitation (SHF), humanitarian leadership (GELI), urban development (Cities Alliance), and disaster displacement (PDD). We also provide fund management for EIF and UN Water, and operational support to Geneva-based partners like the Global Fund and UNHCR. The EU-UNOPS Lives in Dignity (LiD) Grant Facility is also based here.

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition

The Climate and Clean Air Coalition (CCAC) is a partnership of governments, intergovernmental organizations, and representatives of the private sector, the environmental community, and other members of civil society. 

The CCAC is the only international initiative working on integrated climate and clean air solutions to reduce the rate of near-term warming. It focuses on fast action to reduce emissions of short-lived climate pollutants (SLCPs) including methane, black carbon, HFCs and tropospheric ozone.  

For more information, visit www.ccacoalition.org

Water, Environment, and Climate

The Water, Environment, and Climate (WEC) portfolio, based in Vienna with offices worldwide, is part of the UNOPS Global Portfolios Office (GPO). Over the past 15 years, WEC has built strong partnerships and effectively managed a portfolio exceeding 500 million USD, supporting key initiatives through fund management, project implementation, and administrative support.

WEC translates partners' agendas into action through global, regional, and country-specific initiatives focused on climate action, environmental protection, and conservation. Partners benefit from WEC’s ability to implement and scale their strategic priorities, including support for key multilateral environmental and climate agreements such as the Paris Agreement, the Cartagena Convention, and the Sustainable Development Goals

The Project Manager is responsible for drafting the Implementation Plan, based on the approved work plan and budget of the CCAC, using the Project Initiation Document (PID), Legal Agreement and having a thorough understanding of the terms, conditions, and the respective roles and responsibilities of the partners/stakeholders, to ensure the project(s) outputs are capable of meeting the business cases for both UNOPS and the CCAC.

1. Project Delivery and Performance 

• Develop, complete and update implementation plan(s).
• Implement the approved plan (including the establishment of milestones) within the agreed tolerances.
• Embed sustainability dimensions including social and gender inclusion, environmental and economic aspects into project life span. 
• Manage the production of the required outputs, taking responsibility for overall progress and use of resources and initiating corrective action where necessary.
• Ensure that quality of work packages and deliverables complies with the quality requirements defined in the Implementation Plan.
• Liaise with any external suppliers or account managers
• Manage acceptance and delivery of work packages
• Monitor project progress ensuring that work packages are being executed properly
• Control project and work packages changes
• Accept goods, services or works delivered by suppliers and grantees.
• Lead contract management duties including supplier performance evaluation.
• Identify, and anticipate in a timely manner, potential risks and issues and advises mitigating measures to senior management so that maximum benefit to partner(s) and other stakeholders is achieved
• Identify and report to the supervisor potential business opportunities for UNOPS

2. Procedures 

• Comply with all organizational policy and specifically the Project Management Manual.
• Prepare/adapt all relevant plans for approval by the Donor.
• Manage the reporting obligations defined in the Legal Agreement and in the Implementation Plan.
• Draft the requirements definitions for procurement and grants processes. Approving requisitions and requests for non-purchase order payments; Evaluating submissions received, if appointed to the evaluation team.
• Ensure maintenance of the project files and lessons learned are recorded
• Ensure the development and implementation of project financial management guidelines and control mechanisms, in conformity with UNOPS rules and regulations. 
• Manage budgets, cash flow and obligations to ensure that deliverables are met and payments to contractors and personnel are received on time.
• Understand and manage UNOPS overheads, allocable charges, and related corporate charges as they apply to the project.
• Understand the unique structures of the UN and budget appropriately for personnel
• Manage expenditures against the budget (based on accurate financial reports).
• Where the Project Manager has no delegation as a committing officer, s/he retains these responsibilities and will monitor and instruct/request others to carry out the relevant commitments and disbursements.
• For project closure purposes, provide a formal handover of the project to the closure manager.
• Support project audit activities, including planning, preparation and coordination during the audits and follow up on audit observations/recommendations.

3. Monitoring and reporting

• Prepare and issue regular project and/or financial reports in accordance with Partner and UNOPS requirements for reporting.
• Regularly review project status, evaluating performance criteria (scope, cost, schedule and quality).
• Maintain diaries and progress reports as required by the organization’s standard procedures.
• Ensure all project team members track and regularly update milestones and targets for the duration of projects' life span.

4. Stakeholder engagement

• Develop stakeholder profiles and facilitate the formulation of stakeholder engagement strategies
• Establish solid working relationships with the key stakeholders.
• Coordinate stakeholder engagement and communication, ensuring effective timing and interdependency management of communications. Ensure stakeholders are aware of project activities, progress, exceptions and are in a position to accept handover outputs.

5. Quality assurance

• Work with internal stakeholders to ensure projects comply with audit requirements.
• Coordinate quality reviews of project documents and deliverables.
• Provide quality control for management outputs (project documents, reports, etc.)

6. Knowledge management and innovation

• Encourage routine and effective capacity building activities are conducted in order to build the long-term and sustainable capacity of staff.
• Actively interact with other Project Managers and the wider PM community to share case studies, lessons learned and best practices.
• Contribute to the oversight of lessons learned procedures, ensuring that lessons learnt are shared in a timely and appropriate manner. Participate in the relevant Communities of Practice.
• Research and logging of lessons learned throughout the project life span.
• Provide feedback to Practice Groups on policy, supporting guidance with an aim towards continuous improvement of UNOPS policies.

7. Personnel Management

• Ensure that behavioural expectations of team members are established.
• Ensure that performance reviews are conducted fairly, accurately and timely.
• Ensure safety and security for all project personnel and comply with UNDSS standards
• Create, foster and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards and commitments.

Impact of Results 

Project Manager directly impacts on achievement of project results by adhering to project management methods and strategies, reducing risks, cutting costs and improving success rates.  This consequently reinforces the visibility and image of  UNOPS as an effective service provider in project services and management and strengthens its competitive position as a partner of choice in sustainable development and project services.

Required

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) preferably in international relations, law, public administration project management, economics, environment studies or science, sustainable development or a related field.

Required

• Minimum of 2 years of relevant experience in project management, programme support, grant management, or related fields. 

• Experience working with international organizations or development agencies.

• One (1) year or more of experience in climate related projects.

Desired

• Certification in project management (PRINCE2, PMI).

• Working experience with modalities, policies and processes practiced by international agencies in relation to Official Development Assistance (ODA), financing institutions.

• Knowledge of short-lived climate pollutants and mitigation measures